Ezra Mam used as excuse for Spencer Leniu’s confrontation of Johnathan Thurston

Roosters firebrand Spencer Leniu has revealed why he confronted rugby league legend Johnathan Thurston on Friday night dragging Ezra Mam into the ongoing feud.

Roosters firebrand Spencer Leniu has launched a fresh attack on Johnathan Thurston, slamming him as “fake” in a fiery postscript to their altercation at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.

The masthead can reveal the car-crash incident involving Brisbane playmaker Ezra Mam was behind Leniu’s explosive confrontation with Thurston as their NRL feud exploded.

Leniu believes Thurston is a hypocrite for criticising him over his racial slur against Mam last year in Las Vegas, but staying silent over the Broncos pivot’s off-field drama last October.

Mam was involved in a head-on crash with an Uber driver and later pleaded guilty to drug driving, leading to a nine-match suspension from the NRL which saw him miss Friday night’s clash.

That was the reason Leniu felt aggrieved on Friday night when he confronted Thurston on the field, calling the Channel 9 commentator a “f***wit”.

Leniu took to social media on Saturday morning to explain his actions, claiming Thurston tried to confront him after the full-time siren.

Spencer Leniu took to Instagram to explain his side of the brouhaha.

“I never wanted to talk to the JT,” Leniu wrote.

“He kept trying to come speak to me!

“I said, ‘Lad idc (I don’t care) if you hate me for what I did. But don’t come up to me asking questions like we’re Algood (sic).

“Don’t be two face (sic).

“Hate me lad I’m ‘eetswa’ (sweet) with that.

“But don’t be fake.

“I hate fake people.”

Broncos star player Ezra Mam has been dragged into the Leniu, Thurston feud. Picture: NewsWire / Glenn Campbell

It’s understood Leniu said words to the effect of: “Why didn’t you blow up and go as heavy as Ezra Mam as you did with me” when the pair exchanged words on Friday night.

Thurston is a proud Indigenous role model and threw his support behind Mam during the Leniu racism saga.

Leniu was hit with a two-month suspension after he called Broncos pivot Ezra Mam a “monkey” as a racial firestorm erupted in the Las Vegas opener at Allegiant Stadium in 2024.

Queensland Origin great Thurston was so rattled by the clash that he refused to enter the Roosters sheds, with fellow Channel 9 cohort Cam Smith sent in to conduct post-match interviews.

Spencer Leniu has given his account of why he refused to talk to Johnathan Thurston.

Roosters coach Trent Robinson defended Leniu’s actions, insisting he hadn’t crossed the line.

“They just had a discussion on the sideline, I don’t think the details are really clear yet,” he said.

“But it’s just two passionate guys having a conversation about a difference of opinion I think.

“Someone speaking their opinion I think is good in this game.”

Asked if the Mam racism saga was motivation for Leniu in his return against the Broncos, Robinson said: “Not that I know of.

“It wasn’t mentioned at all.

“I thought he was outstanding, he played with the intensity and the control that he needed. I thought he was great there. People will always have differences of opinion and you can voice that.

“It’s OK to say I don’t agree with you on both ends.”

Robinson then took aim at the media, accusing reporters of targeting Leniu for his attack on Thurston.

“I don’t know why ... Spencer didn’t go and approach anybody, so I don’t know why you guys (media) are trying to put it on Spencer here,” he said.

“You guys are trying to put it on Spencer here, this is the way the questions are coming.

“You guys just have to be careful with the way you guys are asking questions as well.

“There’s no harm done on either side. People won’t always agree but that’s life. As long as people don’t cross the line or say the wrong thing.

“There is a discussion there, but from what I saw there wasn’t any crossing the line there.

“It’s a discussion between two men, I don’t think that’s the end of the world.

“Just cool your jets when it comes to accusations around somebody.

“The way you guys are questioning there, you have already formed an opinion.

“It might get heated, but nothing wrong was said as far as I know.

“It was an incident and that’s OK for guys to have that conversation.

It is understood Leniu hasn’t forgotten Thurston leaping to the defence of Mam, also a proud Indigenous player, in the wake of the Las Vegas firestorm.

In a Channel 9 podcast at the time, Thurston slammed Leniu and accused the NRL of failing to protect Mam.

Thurston was a vocal critic of Leniu only receiving an eight-match ban for his racial slur against Mam last year.

“The NRL had a great opportunity there to make a stand, not only for the game but for society as well,” Thurston said at the time.

“I think sports people are held to a higher standard than the rest of the community. But I think the game has failed in this instance.

“I don’t think the eight weeks is sufficient for what has been said and for the mental scars that have been brought up. And what our culture has endured over the history, since colonisation.

“I thought it was a great opportunity to go 12 weeks (and a) blanket ban for all racial verification if you are found guilty.”

Originally published as Ezra Mam used as excuse for Spencer Leniu’s confrontation of Johnathan Thurston